Myanmar urges active youth participation to build nation

President U Thein Sein Monday urged civilians to participate in building Myanmar into a democratic nation through understanding, trust and transparency.

In his message on the occasion of the International Day of Democracy, U Thein Sein said the country is in the phase of a third wave of reform process, stressing that the political de-centralisation is only for the benefit of the people, Xinhua reported.

Noting that as Myanmar's future prosperity depends on the 16 million youth population and the youth play a crucial role in democratic reform and future development, U Thein Sein said that youth development programmes are included in the third wave of reform process.

Myanmar marked the International Day of Democracy this year with the theme "Engaging Youth on Democracy" to highlight the role of youth in the opportunities and challenges of democratic transition.